Thanks to the previous lasagna meal, I had a few ingredients leftover and I needed a fast and easy dinner to throw together. I had some tofu ricottaleft, as well as two Field Roast sausage links, so it worked out beautifully. I wanted to make the ricotta more of a sauce, so I added some minced garlic and a bit of vegetable broth to thin it out. When I sauteed the Field Roast, some of the small crumbles got nice and crispy, creating a kind of crumbled bacon taste. Yum! Fresh tomatoes and parsley (basil would be great too) and the meal was ready in 15 minutes.

Mince the garlic cloves in a food processor, then add the ricotta and vegetable broth. Process 30 seconds, or until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until heated through.

Meanwhile, saute the Field Roast in a skillet with a tad of olive oil.

To serve, top individual servings of pasta with some sauce, Field Roast, tomatoes and parsley. Enojy!

This is definitely a carb-lover’s soup! You certainly don’t have to use pasta and potatoes, but I think they work really well together in this soup. I used to make this soup a lot about ten or twelve years ago, but sort of forgot about it, especially since it used real bacon, but like most meat dishes, this one is easy to veganize. It’s incredibly easy to make and versatile, too. I think some chopped kale or mushrooms would be great additions.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions and veggie bacon and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cook another 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and broth and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are slightly tender. Add the pasta and cook 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through. Season with black pepper and serve with Daiya cheese on top. Enjoy!

It’s amazing what you can make with almonds! This recipe is the same as the Almond Cheeze Log, but this time, I added herbs to it. This cheeze is light and fluffy and the herbs are subtle. Feel free to add more than I did, but I think you’ll like this mild version.

DIRECTIONS:First, to blanch the almonds, add them to a small sauce pan and fill with water, just to cover the almonds. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pinch the skins between your finger and the skins will slide right off. Dry them off well.

Place almonds in a medium bowl and cover with 3″ of water; soak for 24 hours. Drain and rinse twice with running water. Next, puree the almonds with the chives and parsley.

Then, add the dill, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and water in a food processor until smooth. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with a triple layer of cheesecloth. Spoon mixture into cheesecloth or cloth napkin.

Bring the corners and sides of the cheesecloth together and twist around the cheese, squeezing out any excess moisture. Secure with a rubber band and refrigerate for several hours. Enjoy!

Yes, I am on a barley kick. Since I started using it (Vegetable-Barley Chili) I’ve been hooked. It has a lovely chewy texture that is ideal for soups and stews. In addition to the rainy weather, I needed to clean out the fridge of some veggies, so this soup worked out beautifully. Amazing flavor and ideal with some garlic toast or rolls.

DIRECTIONS:Combine the broth, barley, zucchini, carrots, celery, minced onion, chives, and pepper in a large soup pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 25-30 minutes, or until the vegetables soften. Add 1-2 cups of water along with the mushrooms, green onions, miso, and sherry. Cook another 5-7 minutes. Add more water if you feel it’s too thick. Stir in the parsley. Serve and enjoy!

I love that hummus is so versatile and easy to make. It’s also cheaper to make your own than buying prepackaged hummus. Here are two other varieties that a friend introduced me to and please note, the picture shows just half what the recipe yields.

DIRECTIONS:On a cutting board mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. In a food processor purée the chick-peas with the garlic paste, the tahini, the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, scraping down the sides, until the hummus is smooth and add salt to taste. Add water, if necessary, to thin the hummus to the desired consistency and transfer the hummus to a bowl.

The hummus should be a little thick in consistency, place half in a bowl and save for later for the roasted red pepper.

In the food processor, cleaned, purée the remaining 1/4 cup oil with the parsley and garlic until the oil is bright green and the parsley is minced transfer the parsley oil to a small jar. The hummus and the parsley oil may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. If the consistency still seems too thick, add more warm water if needed.

Add the other half of the hummus in the food processor. Add two to three roasted red peppers and olive oil. If needed added more water.

Serve with crackers, veggies, on sandwiches as a spread and a million other ways.

One bite and these “meat”balls were an instant favorite that I’ll be making often. They’re actually quite easy to make and prep time was only about 10 mins at the most. The recipe is from Vegetarian Times and includes a sauce recipe, which I didn’t have time for, so I just used jarred sauce. Already looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow…

The Epicurean Vegan is devoted to those wanting to eat healthy, save animals and reduce their carbon footprint. My decision to go vegan may have started out as a quest to get healthier, but the more I learned about veganism, the more I realized just how damaging the meat and dairy industry is to the environment and, of course, the animals. And it is for these reasons, that I would never go back to eating or wearing animal products. Ever.Read More